Flame-retardant zipper sleeve for wrapping an optical fiber cable bundle or an electrical cable bundle and a method of making the zipper sleeve

Abstract

A zipper sleeve is provided that is made entirely or almost entirely of highly flame-retardant meta-aramid material to provide the zipper sleeve with highly flame-retardant characteristics. The zipper teeth rows of the zipper mechanism are attached directly to respective side edges of opposite sides of a sheet of highly flame-retardant material that will be used to make the sleeve. By attaching the zipper teeth rows directly to the meta-aramid material, the process of attaching the teeth can be fully automated, which ensures that the teeth will be precisely aligned. This feature allows a highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve made entirely or almost entirely out of meta-aramid material to be manufactured at relatively low costs and with very high yield.

1 . A highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve for wrapping a bundle of cables, the zipper sleeve comprising:
 a sheet of highly flame-retardant material, the sheet having first and second sides, a top, and a bottom; and   a zipper mechanism, the zipper mechanism having first and second zipper teeth rows that are directly attached to first and second side edges, respectively, of the first and second sides of the sheet, respectively, the first and second zipper teeth rows having first and second rows of teeth, respectively, the first zipper teeth row having a first end and a second end, the first zipper teeth row having a pin located at the first end thereof, the second zipper teeth row having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second zipper teeth row having a retainer box located at the first end thereof, the second zipper teeth row having a slider of the zipper mechanism mechanically coupled thereto via a Y-channel of the slider, the slider being in sliding engagement with the second row of teeth.   
     
     
         2 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second side edges are thicker than a thickness of the sheet, and wherein the first and second zipper teeth rows are directly attached to the first and second side edges, respectively, of the first and second sides of the sheet, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second edges are rounded and have a diameter that is greater than the thickness of the sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the highly flame-retardant material is entirely made of meta-aramid fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the highly flame-retardant material is made mostly or entirely of meta-aramid fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein the highly flame-retardant material is made of approximately 93% meta-aramid fiber, approximately 5% Kevlar® fiber and approximately 2% antistatic fiber. 
     
     
         7 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein the zipper mechanism is made of metal. 
     
     
         8 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein the zipper mechanism is made of a hard, non-metallic, flame-retardant material. 
     
     
         9 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein the first zipper teeth row has a stop located at the second end thereof, and wherein the second zipper teeth row has a stop located at the second end thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve for wrapping a bundle of cables, the zipper sleeve comprising:
 a sheet of highly flame-retardant material, wherein the highly flame-retardant material is made mostly of meta-aramid fibers, the sheet having first and second sides, a top, and a bottom, the first and second sides having first and second side edges knitted therein, respectively, wherein the first and second side edges are thicker than a thickness of the sheet; and   a zipper mechanism, the zipper mechanism having first and second zipper teeth rows that are directly attached to the first and second side edges, respectively, of the first and second sides of the sheet, respectively, the first and second zipper teeth rows having first and second rows of teeth, respectively, the first zipper teeth row having a first end and a second end, the first zipper teeth row having a pin located at the first end thereof, the second zipper teeth row having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second zipper teeth row having a retainer box located at the first end thereof, the second zipper teeth row having a slider of the zipper mechanism mechanically coupled thereto via a Y-channel of the slider, the slider being in sliding engagement with the second row of teeth.   
     
     
         11 . The highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve of  claim 10 , wherein the highly flame-retardant material is made of approximately 93% meta-aramid fiber, approximately 5% Kevlar® fiber and approximately 2% antistatic fiber. 
     
     
         12 . A method of making a highly flame-retardant zipper sleeve comprising:
 in a knitting machine, using highly flame retardant yarn to knit a sheet having first and second side edges;   feeding the knitted sheet having first and second side edges into a modified zipper teeth attachment machine; and   in the modified zipper teeth attachment machine, directly attaching first and second zipper teeth rows of a zipper mechanism to the first and second side edges, respectively, of the sheet, wherein the first and second zipper teeth rows have first and second rows of teeth, respectively, the first zipper teeth row having a first end and a second end, the first zipper teeth row having a pin located at the first end thereof, the second zipper teeth row having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second zipper teeth row having a retainer box located at the first end thereof, the second zipper teeth row having a slider of the zipper mechanism mechanically coupled thereto via a Y-channel of the slider, the slider being in sliding engagement with the second row of teeth.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second side edges are thicker than a thickness of the sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second side edges are rounded and have a diameter that is greater than the thickness of the sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the highly flame-retardant yarn is meta-aramid yarn. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the highly flame-retardant yarn is mostly or entirely meta-aramid yarn. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the highly flame-retardant yarn is approximately 93% meta-aramid fiber, approximately 5% Kevlar® fiber and approximately 2% antistatic fiber. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the zipper mechanism is made of metal. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the zipper mechanism is made of a hard, non-metallic, flame-retardant material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first zipper teeth row has a stop located at the second end thereof, and wherein the second zipper teeth row has a stop located at the second end thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the modified zipper attachment machine simultaneously directly attaches the first and second zipper teeth rows to the first and second side edges, respectively, of the sheet.